Fire-kindler



(No Model.\

N. MAGDONALD.

FIRE KINDLER.

No. 585,001. Patented June 22, 1897.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATE T EEIQE.

NICOLL MACDONALD, OF MOUNT OLIVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FlRE-KlNDLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,001, dated June 22,1897.

Application filed October 28, 1896. Serial No. 610,293. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, NIooLL MACDONALD, of Mount Oliver, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Kindler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to construct a fire-kindler which will beeconomic and light, and which will produce a maximum of heat and may bequickly ignited.

A further object of the invention is to construct the kindler in suchmanner that it will produce a strong flame for a predetermined length oftimefifteen minutes,for example after which the kindler will become aglowing mass, maintaining this shape until it is entirely consumed,which will take, for example, a period of fifteen minutes more. Theingredients of which the fire-kindler is constructed give to the kindlerthe characteristics of coke after the flame has subsided and during thetime the kindler remains in its glowing condition.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved kindler, and Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section through the same.

The kindler is made in the form of a hollow brick, as illustrated, andin two sections A and B, the base-section being narrower or of lessheight than the upper section. One or more partitions 10 are located inthe inner chamber of the brick, and these partitions 10, together withthe side and end walls of both .of the sections,,are tapering invertical section, having substantially a Wedge form, as illustrated inFig. 2, the tops being thicker than the bottom portions of the saidparts, and in order to obtain a perfect circulation and an effective andeven combustion openings 11 are made in the sides of the sections, whileopenings 12 are made in the ends of the sections, and openings 13 areproduced in the partitions 10.

The lower section B consists of one part by weight of pulped paper tothree parts of sawdust, and the paper is reduced to a pulp ordinarily bymixing it with lime water and working the two ingredients in asuitablyconstructed machine. The upper section A is constructed from onepart paper-pulp and five parts of pulverized coal, the particles of coalbeing usually passed through a sieve having a quarter-of-an-inch mesh.After the paper has been reduced to a pulp the other ingredients areadded in substantially the quantities above mentioned, and the mass isthen thoroughly mixed until it reaches the consistency of thick or stiffmortar. Sufficient of the pulped paper and sawdust is then placed in themold to form the lower or base portion of the kindler, and then theingredients that are to form the upper section are molded and the twosections are placed one on the other. After the molding of the materialthe kindler is placed either in the atmosphere or in an oven and isthoroughly dried.

The kindler is now ready to be saturated with a combustible compound,and I preferably use for this purpose oil or resin, or a mixture ofboth, the preferred compound consisting of one part by weight ofcoal-tar, three parts of crude petroleum, and three parts of resinintimately mixed by boiling. The kindler is dipped into this liquid andis permitted to take up all that it will hold, and is then laid away fora few days, at the expiration of which time it is ready for use. It hasbeen found in practice that a binding material will add to the durationof the kindler when fired, and the binding material preferably usedconsists of a solution composed of one part flour, one part resin, andsix parts water, thoroughly mixed by boiling. After the kindler has beenduly treated with the compound adapted to promote combustion the kindleris placed in the binding solution, which closes the pores and imparts tothe kindler a glossy surface, especially after the binding solution hasbeen permitted to dry on the kindler, which will require at least twodays exposure to the atmosphere.

A kindler'construeted as above set forth will burn with a strong flamefor at least fifteen minutes, after which it will become a glowing masshaving the characteristics of coke, and the coal combined with the paperimparts such strength to the kindler that it will support considerablymore weight than the majority of kindlers that have come under myobservation.

It will be perceived that my fire-kindler is constructed with referenceto making its lower portion more quickly combustible and more quicklyconsumed than its upper part, and to this end the lower portion of itswalls are made thinner (by the taper) than the upper portion, and thecomposition of the lower portion (pulped paper and sawdust) is designedfor the same end, being more quickly combustible and less lasting thanthe upper portion that contains the coal particles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent NICOLL MACDONALD. Witnesses:

S. A. WILL,

J. \VARREN HUNTER.

